It Should Not Get to This

A man in Scotland calls his son in London the day before Christmas Eve and says, “I hate to ruin your day but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough.”

“Dad, what are you talking about?” the son screams.

“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the father says. “We’re sick of each other and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Leeds and tell her.”

Frantically, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “Like h..l they’re getting divorced!” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this!”

She calls Scotland immediately, and screams at her father, “You are NOT getting divorced! Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?!” She hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone at the other end and turns to his wife. “Sorted! They’re both coming for Christmas and they’re paying their own way.”

While this anecdote may sound amusing, it also calls for sober reflection particularly in term of how we relate to our parents. Imagine how many times they must have patiently attended to our calls even for the most trivial of things. They should not be denied our attention now that we are on our own and can take care of ourselves.

Meditation: He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. – Matthew 15:3-6

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Story of the Lazy Bird

Author Unknown

Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. – Hebrews 12:12-13

Once there was a rich man who bought two beautiful birds as pets for his garden. The birds were some of the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his gardener to be trained.

Many days passed, then one day the gardener informed the rich man that though one of the birds was flying beautifully, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The rich man called in healers and magicians from all over the country to tend to the bird, but no one could make the bird fly. Then the rich man thought to himself, “Maybe I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he called out to his gardener, “Go and get a villager.”

In the morning, the rich man was thrilled to see the bird soaring high above the garden.

Then the rich man asked the villager, “How did you make the bird fly?”

With his head bowed, the villager said to the rich man, ”It was very easy, sir. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.”

We are all made to fly and fulfil our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we tend to sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless; but, for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling.

Let us destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Standing Firm

By Rich McLawhorn

You see it all the time. People achieve success, and then their personal lives seem to fall apart. As someone once said, success has made failures of many men. But does that have to happen?

The September 1996 issue of Standing Firm magazine contains a great story about Bobby Bowden. Bowden is head football coach for Florida State University. His team’s winning record places him near the top in wins among active coaches at the Division I level. Bowden’s record of successes in bowl games is the highest winning percentage in NCAA history. So he is successful in his chosen career. Whether you are a fan of F.S.U. or not, you have to admit that Bowden is a successful coach.

But there is more to Bowden than the statistics you read in the sports pages. He is a man of faith, and makes no apologies for that. During his team’s Friday evening meetings before their Saturday games, Bowden uses valuable time for team devotionals, which he leads. As for his ongoing leadership of the team’s staff, each day he meets with his staff for devotions and prayer prior to their regular staff meetings.

Each year, Bowden takes his entire team to a predominantly black church for worship. The following Sunday, he takes the team to a predominantly white church. There is no deception involved–he writes a letter to each athlete’s parents or guardian to tell them about the church visits and obtain their approval. “I’m trying to show these kids that they are accepted in church whether they are white or black,” Bowden said.

So what is the point of this and the many other ways Bowden walks his walk of faith? Bowden says, “I want to show these kids that you can be a Christian, you can be a God-fearing man, you can abide by the rules, and you can still be successful.”

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

A number of social commentators have asked the questions, “Where are our heroes?” and “Where are the role models for today’s youth?” That is because we constantly read about people who were considered heroes, but turned out to be villains who compromised their values and broke the rules. Is it necessary to compromise your values to make it in life? Bowden’s story shows that it is not. No, Bowden is not perfect. But there is a core to his life. Bowden stands firm in his beliefs–and is successful. What is the difference between the Bobby Bowdens of the world, and others? Simply put, some people are like onions. They have no core, just layers. And when you peel away all the layers, nothing is left. Don’t glorify the “onions” of the world. Instead, lift up people like Bowden–men and women with a core to their lives, who exhibit integrity and faith. Help them touch others. Encourage them. Pray for them. Finally, build and strengthen your own core. Start by placing your trust and confidence totally in God. Trusting in God does not guarantee you worldly success or great riches, but the Bible teaches that something far more important will result, blessings from God.

Meditation: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” – Job 17:9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Most Important Question

Author Unknown

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz.

I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank…

Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’.”

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Meditation: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. – Philippians 2:3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How To Be A Godly Employee

(Based on the 10 Commandments)

Author Unknown

1. Trust in God only.

Trust in no one but GOD. People will disappoint you. God created you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He is too good to do wrong, and too wise to make a mistake. Let His peace abide in you. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. Worship God only.

Don’t make your career, your company, or your boss a god. If you do, you will provoke God to jealously and will end up fighting Him. In fact, He may hinder you from achieving what you want until you are broken of the idolatry. (Exodus 20:5).

3. Use God’s Name Reverently.

Don’t swear! Clean words come out of a clean heart! If your co-workers know that you are a Christian, but they hear the Lord’s Name used in vain, or cursing and swearing from your mouth, you will give the appearance of being a hypocrite. (Matthew 15:17-19).

4. Work Six Days and Rest on the Seventh.

Before you beg for more vacation time, ask yourself a few questions, “Do you honour the Sabbath?” God has already given you 52 days of time off that equates to seven weeks. “Are your expectations for work, vacation, and retirement realistic?” By resting one day a week, you can avoid burnout. (Genesis 3:17-19).

5. Respect and Obey Your Boss.

You should respect and obey your boss, because you don’t know what it’s like to be in their shoes. Plus, your ultimate boss is the Lord. Serve Him faithfully on the job, and He will bless you. However, if your boss commands you to do something illegal or immoral, you must make a stand and obey God rather than man. (Ephesians 6:5-8).

6. Protect and Respect Human Life.

Emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual manipulation, abuses and violence have no place in the workplace… or any place. You do not have the right to use and abuse your boss, co-workers, employees, customers, or suppliers. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2).

7. Be True to Your Spouse.

If you are not getting the kind of attention that you feel you deserve at home, it’s common to seek it with someone at work. Honour your wedding vows by avoiding company romances! They are very tempting, very real, and very common. They are also very wrong and very destructive. (Matthew 19:8-9).

8. Do Not Take What Belongs to Others.

Stealing at work can take many forms. You can choose to steal materials, money, time, productivity, and joy from your employer and others. Do not remove your integrity by stealing. (II Corinthians 7:1-2).

9. Do Not Lie About Others.

Do not fabricate stories about your boss, co-workers, and spread gossip for the sake of company politics. You are here to be the salt and the light, not the pepper and the darkness! Truth always rises to the surface, and eventually you will be ashamed and rebuked if you lie. (II Peter 2: 10-13).

10. Be Satisfied With What You Have.

Contentment doesn’t mean that you cannot pursue God-given goals, but it does mean that you are content with what He has provided you with, day after day. Contentment is a rare quality in today’s culture, but it is extremely liberating! Materialism, striving for rank, backstabbing, and discontent lead to emotional, mental, financial, and spiritual bondage. (I Timothy 6:6-11).

Meditation: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” – Job 1:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

A Story To Live By

By Ann Wells

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister’s bureau and lifted out a tissue – wrapped package. “This,” he said, “is not a slip. This is lingerie.” He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. “Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion.”

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment. Then he slammed the drawer shut, turned to me and said, “Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you’re alive is a special occasion.”

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister’s family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn’t seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

I’m still thinking about his words, and they’ve changed my life. I’m reading more and dusting less. I’m sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor, not endure. I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I’m not “saving” anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event, such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing.

I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends. “Someday” and “one of these days” are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I’m not sure what my sister would’ve done had she known that she wouldn’t be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I’m guessing – I’ll never know.

It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with – someday. Angry because I hadn’t written certain letters that I intended to write – one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn’t tell my husband often enough how much I truly love them.

I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

Meditation: See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:15-16

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

God Can Do It

Author Unknown

A young man working in the army was constantly humiliated because he believed in God.

One day the commander decided to humiliate him before the troops. He called him and said: “Young man, take the key and go park the Jeep in front.”

The young soldier replied, “Sir, I cannot drive!”

The superior said, “Then ask for assistance from your God! Show us that He Exists!”

The young man took the key and walked to the vehicle, praying all the way. He started the car, and started to move hesitantly at first, and gently he began to move until he got to the place where the commander told him to park it.

As he parked the car and came out, he saw the commander and his colleagues all crying. Then they said, “We want to serve your God!”

The young soldier was astonished, he wanted to know what was going on? The commander was still busy sobbing, then he opened the hood of the jeep to reveal to the young man that the car had no engine.

Then the lad said, “See? This is the God I serve, the God who gives life to what does not exist.”

Perhaps, you may have concluded there are things that are still impossible in your life. The God of possibilities will show forth for you today.

Meditation: For with God nothing will be impossible. – Luke 1:37

You will succeed in Jesus Name!